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conditioning

American  
[kuhn-dish-uh-ning] / kənˈdɪʃ ə nɪŋ /

noun

Psychology.

  1. Also called operant conditioning, instrumental conditioning.  a process of changing behavior by rewarding or punishing a subject each time an action is performed until the subject associates the action with pleasure or distress.

  2. Also called classical conditioning, Pavlovian conditioning, respondent conditioning.  a process in which a stimulus that was previously neutral, as the sound of a bell, comes to evoke a particular response, as salivation, by being repeatedly paired with another stimulus that normally evokes the response, as the taste of food.

conditioning British  
/ kənˈdɪʃənɪŋ /

noun

  1. psychol the learning process by which the behaviour of an organism becomes dependent on an event occurring in its environment See also classical conditioning instrumental learning

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. (of a shampoo, cosmetic, etc) intended to improve the condition of something

    a conditioning rinse
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
conditioning Scientific  
/ kən-dĭsh′ə-nĭng /

  1. See classical conditioning

Other Word Forms

  • self-conditioning adjective

Etymology

Origin of conditioning

First recorded in 1915–20; condition + -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Many drivers, like Chinonso, keep their car air conditioning off to conserve fuel -- and "plead" for a tip from customers in return for switching it on.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

They included the heating, the plumbing, and the air conditioning.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Jordan, another U.S. regional ally that is also energy-starved, took similar steps, enacting bans on air conditioning in government offices and private use of government vehicles.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

The Thai government has asked people to take their jackets off as part of measures to cut down on the amount of energy consumed by air conditioning units.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

It has cloth seats and air conditioning and a separate place to store luggage.

From "Without Refuge" by Jane Mitchell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.